• Podcast
  • ARL
    • Indigenous All Stars v NRL All Stars
    • Rugby League State Of Origin
  • NRL
    • The 2022 NRL Draw
    • 2021 NRL Draw
    • 2021 NRL Podcast
    • 2020 NRL Draw
    • 2015 NRL Draw
    • 2014 NRL Draw
  • ESL
    • International Origin
    • Challenge Cup
  • World
    • World Club Challenge
    • World Cup
    • Rugby League 9’s
    • NRL Auckland Nines Draw
  • Sports
    • AFL
    • Cricket
    • Rugby Union
    • Soccer
  • Guest Writers
  • League Freak
    • Web Site News
    • Sponsorship
    • Uncategorized

The Glorious League Freak – Covering Rugby League World Wide – LeagueFreak.com

  • Home
  • Podcast
  • NRL Rumours
  • RL World 9’s
  • Features
    • Player Profiles And News
  • History
    • History Books
    • The Super League War
      • The Super League War – The Clubs
      • The Super League War – The Freak
      • The Super League War – The Extras
  • Quotes
  • Look-Alikes
  • Teams
  • Rankings
  • Media
  • About
    • Bio
    • League Freaks Commentary Career
    • Contact
    • League Freak On Twitter
    • I Am Not A Journalist
    • Contribute To LeagueFreak.com
    • League Freak Mentions In The Media
    • Advertise On This Website
    • Rugby League RSS Feed
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • RSS Feed
    • Youtube

Should The Raiders Even Consider Re-Signing Josh Dugan?

Feb 09, 2012 League Freak Canberra Raiders 0


He is off contract at the end of the season and for the last few years, he has been less than enthusiastic about re-signing with the Canberra Raiders. Now, news has emerged that Josh Dugan is facing speeding charges after being clocked doing 105kph in a 60kph zone.

On top of this, Dugan was unlicensed, a situation he claims he was unaware of.

So the question I have is this…

Do the Canberra Raiders really want to spend a large chunk of the teams salary cap on a brilliant but extremely injury prone young man who has questionable judgement off the field and who, for what ever reason, seems like he really doesn’t want to be in Canberra?

Its often a struggle for all fans when it comes to a great young player who is injury prone. Every single one of us see’s the potential, we remember the brilliance, and we are willing to overlook the missed games in the hope that a few more seasons and a bit of luck will see our good young injury prone stars finally get a decent run of games under their belt.

Unfortunately, when a player starts off their career injury prone, it is very rarely that they ever shake that issue completely.

Many will point to Benji Marshall as the ultimate in a great injury prone player who managed to turn things around. Benji Marshall’s career was thought to be just about over due to his shoulder problems, but amazingly, he has managed to get past those issues and become a reliable first grade player.

When Marshall come into first grade though, he looked very different to the player we see today. He was a slight player, he still had the build of a touch footballer. You also have to consider that Marshall’s upside is probably higher than any other injury prone player in the history of the game. Consider that includes a bloke called Reg that used to play for the Dragons…

Could you say that Dugan just needs to develop the body of a first grade player? I don’t think so. He is a lean player but if anything if he puts on more weight it might actually hurt his game.

Off the field, its hard to work out what is wrong with Dugan. I call him a Bogan, and seriously, have a look at his tattoo’s and keep in mind he missed games last year with a “boil”. You wanna argue against me?

For as long as he has been known to be a good player it seems like he has been looking for a way out of Canberra. More than a few times he has been linked to other clubs, even while still having a couple of years left on his contract. There have been rumours of him not liking the coaching staff at Canberra and at the end of the day, its a lot of negative noise coming from his direction.

Canberra fans can blame the newspapers for this all they like, but at the end of the day, there is no smoke without fire.

You then have to think about the off field rubbish he gets involved in. This isn’t his first time he has been involved with the law. In any case, if you are doing 105kph in a 60kph zone, you’re not just a bit of a lead foot, you are thrashing a car dangerously. You could easily kill yourself or someone else doing something that stupid. It is a 60kph zone for a good reason!

As for saying he didn’t know his licence was suspended, please! Didn’t the letters from the RTA get to you young fella? Maybe you need to run that by your manager too.

Overall, when you take in the whole Josh Dugan package, you have to wonder if it is all worth the hassle. Is Josh Dugan good enough that in the dozen games he actually plays in a season, and with all the off field crap he brings to the table, is he worth spending a massive part of your salary cap on?

The Raiders have a great junior nursery that produces great young players. It is a system that would make most clubs envious.

I have no doubt what so ever that the Raiders would have a few youngsters right now in their junior development system that could step into first grade right now and, sure, they might not tear an opposition team apart, but they would get the job done, cost a whole lot less, bring no off field issues to the side and, most importantly, they would back up and be ready to play every single week.

That last point for me is the big issue.

A coach will tell you that the most valuable players in a side are the ones you name in March for the first game of the season and you can rely on them every single week to turn up and do their job. Give me the bloke that is a fringe State Of Origin level player who plays every game of the season over the potential Test level player who is only first for half the season.

If you are going to make a player your highest paid, he simply needs to turn up every single week.

That is something that Josh Dugan can no give you right now. Forget all the other issues, which in themselves are significant, this is a young player who wants top dollar and yet who has yet to prove he can play regular first grade football without being injured.

In my opinion, the Canberra Raiders would be crazy to make Josh Dugan a huge offer. He has now become a drama that the Raiders can simply do without.

If there is one thing Raiders fans know its that, it doesn’t matter how great your team is on paper, if they can’t last out the season, it means nothing. Canberra should look to be shoring up their team with players that have a much better history of injury management than Dugan has shown so far over his career.

Yes it will be painful, and yes, if Dugan goes to another club and looks great in a few games, it won’t feel any better. However, what the Raiders need from any player they invest in right now, Dugan can not give to them.

I wouldn’t want my club spending any money on Josh Dugan. Trust me, as a Panthers fan, I know what its like when a big chunk of your salary cap is sitting on the sidelines and causing off field issues.

Lets hope the Canberra Raiders do the smart thing, get rid of what is becoming a problem and let another club spend their time and money going to court appearances in between shuffling Dugan too and from rehab sessions.

  • Tweet
  • Share 0
  • Reddit
  • Pocket
  • LinkedIn 0
  • Email

Related


  • Benji Marshall, Disgrace, Josh Dugan
The First Day Of True Independence For Rugby League Getting Left Behind In A Fast Changing Media Market

League Freak

A well known Rugby League writer, League Freak has established a reputation among supporters of the game for his fearless commentary and unmatched insight. With a reach that spans both sides of the globe, League Freak has produced an independent network that allows him to distribute content to his many thousands of followers. He is the owner and main author of LeagueFreak.com

Related articles
  • Super League Gives Away Vital Advertising Signage For Free Pizza Thanks To Disgusting Administrators
    Super League Gives Away Vital...

    Aug 24, 2020 0

  • Addin Fonua-Blake Fined $20,000 By The NRL Over Attack On Referee
    Addin Fonua-Blake Fined $20,000 By The...

    Jul 10, 2020 0

  • Podcast: Fergo and The Freak – Episode 191 – Benji Marshall Being Shopped Around And NRL Teams Heading Home!
    Podcast: Fergo and The Freak –...

    Jun 29, 2020 0


You must log in to post a comment.

Become a Patron!

Ziad Warwar
Nadine
Coojee
Adam
Andy
jamescunni
Lisa
Rugby League Project
Samuel
Sandy
Katey
Oblivion NPC
Jack
Terry
Gibbo

RSS Fergo and The Freak Podcast

  • Make Or Break Season Ahead For These NRL Players
  • We've Been Training The House Down!
  • The 12 Days Of Rugby League Christmas
  • Pat Walsh - The Natural
  • Rugby League Kicks A Two Point Field Goal By Promoting Leigh Into Super League
  • The York City Knights Super League Bid With Gavin Wilson
  • NRL Having Talks To Buy 51% Of Super League For $134 Million
  • Josh Reynolds To Hull FC, BS St Helens Stats, Brandon Smith's Future And Andrew Goes Viral!
  • Brent Nadens Positive Drugs Test Plus Ask Potato - #AskTheBoss
  • The 2020 King Of Rugby League Awards
  • Reaction To The 2021 NRL Draw - With Statistics!
  • No Golden Boot, The Rugby League Gods, And The Best Coffee On The Gold Coast!
  • Queensland Wins The 2020 State Of Asterisk Series!!!
  • Book Launch: The Katelyn Diaries By Jayme Smith
  • The NRL Purchasing Super League: How It Might Work

Polls

What Should Cameron Smith Do In 2021?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive

League Freaks Social Network

Follow League Freak on:

Latest Rugby League Articles

  • Could This Be The End Of The Traditional Scrum?
    Could This Be The End Of The Traditional Scrum?

    Jan 12, 2021 0

  • Get Your NEW NRL Podcast For The 2021 NRL Season!!!
    Get Your NEW NRL Podcast For The 2021 NRL Season!!!

    Jan 06, 2021 0

  • Nigel Owens’ Reveals Three Ways For Referees To Make Rugby More Exciting
    Nigel Owens’ Reveals Three Ways For Referees To Make...

    Dec 22, 2020 0

  • 2021 NRL Draw – All Games, All Times, All Venues, All Action, All Controversy!
    2021 NRL Draw – All Games, All Times, All Venues, All...

    Nov 26, 2020 0

  • New Streaming Service For Rugby Games In Australia
    New Streaming Service For Rugby Games In Australia

    Nov 16, 2020 0

Follow League Freak on Twitter

My Tweets

Tags

Andrew Ferguson (258) ARL (61) Australia (155) Benji Marshall (86) Billy Slater (76) Broadcasting Deal (65) Cameron Smith (59) Channel 9 (71) Daniel Nichols (122) Disgrace (73) Eligibility Rules (64) England (141) Expansion (76) Fergo And The Freak (279) Greg Inglis (99) Guest Writer (332) Israel Folau (67) Jarryd Hayne (78) Johnathan Thurston (81) League Freak (358) Leeds Rhinos (57) Marketing (65) Matthew Elliott (70) Mitchell Pearce (62) New South Wales (93) New Zealand (137) NRL Finals (59) NRL Salary Cap (95) Paul Gallen (64) Player Movement (112) Podcast (302) Queensland (69) Referees (78) RFL (144) Robbie Farah (57) Rugby League History (66) Rugby Union (190) Sam Burgess (62) Sonny Bill Williams (91) State Of Origin (153) St Helens (63) Todd Carney (62) Wayne Bennett (81) Wigan (58) World Cup (166)
As featured on NewsNow: NRL newsNRL News 24/7

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Blogroll

  • The Glorious League Freak.
  • League Freak on Twitter
  • League Freak on Facebook
  • Rugby League Podcasting Network
  • NRL Breaking News
  • NRL Rumours
  • RLWorld9s.com

Facebook Pages

  • NRL Gossip
  • NRL Infinite

Features

  • King Of Rugby League
  • Rugby League Look-Alikes
  • Biggest Winning Margins In Rugby League History
  • Biggest Crowds In Rugby League History
  • Rugby League Quotes
  • Rugby League Dictionary
  • The Super League War
  • The New Zealand Haka
  • Funny Rugby League Teams
  • Rugby League Rankins Lists
  • NRL Rumours
  • IHateRugbyUnion.com
  • NRL History
  • NRL History Books
  • Record Books
  • Player Profiles

Other Links

  • Submit Your Australian Blog
  • Best Junk Hauling Virginia
  • Gutter Cleaning Service Virginia
  • Best Lawn Mowing Service Virginia
  • 2020 NRL Draw

Other Sports

  • Clutch Fans
  • Sportette

Players

  • Cameron Smith
  • Kayln Ponga
  • Sonny Bill Williams
  • Jarryd Hayne
  • Andrew Johns
  • Semi Radradra
  • Sam Burgess
  • Benji Marshall
  • James Tedesco
  • Cooper Cronk
  • Johnathan Thurston
  • Anthony Mundine
  • Sam Tomkins
  • Greg Inglis
  • Jamie Peacock

Rugby League

  • Rugby League Project
  • Era Of The Biff
  • Darryl's Rugby League
  • Jamie Lyon Web
  • Rugby League Review
  • Rugby League Ratings
  • NRL CEO Fantasy League
  • QLD Panthers
  • Andrew Ferguson's Website!
  • Black Swans RLFC
  • InternationalRL
  • 2021 Rugby League World Cup
  • Rugby League Mums
  • Player Profiles

Rugby League Podcast

  • Best Rugby League Podcast
  • Best NRL Podcast
  • Best Super League Podcast
  • Best Australian Podcast
  • Best Sports Podcast
  • Funniest Podcast
  • Best Comedy Podcast
  • NRL Radio
  • 2021 NRL Podcast
Google+
  • National Rugby League
  • Rugby League State Of Origin
  • Brisbane Broncos
  • Canberra Raiders
  • Canterbury Bulldogs
  • Cronulla Sharks
  • Gold Coast Titans
  • Manly Sea Eagles
  • Melbourne Storm
  • New Zealand Warriors
  • Newcastle Knights
  • North Queensland Cowboys
  • Parramatta Eels
  • Penrith Panthers
  • South Sydney Rabbitohs
  • St George/Illawarra Dragons
  • Sydney Roosters
  • Wests Tigers
  • The King Of Rugby League Awards
  • Rugby League Player Profiles And News
  • Fantasy Rugby League Teams
  • Rugby League World Rankings
  • Rugby League Look-Alikes
  • International Rugby League News
  • National Rugby League
  • European Super League News
  • Featured Guest Writers
  • Other Sports
  • The 2021 NRL Draw
  • The 2022 NRL Draw – Every NRL Game Listed For You!!!
  • Advertise On LeagueFreak.com
  • About LeagueFreak.com
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feed
  • NothingButLeague.com
  • Rugby League Podcasting Network
  • NRL Breaking News
  • NRL Rumours – Latest NRL Rumours
  • NRL Podcast
  • Super League Podcast
  • Rugby League Podcast
  • Here Is The Cure For COVID 19
Copyright LeagueFreak.com 2020 / All rights reserved
  • Advertise On LeagueFreak.com
  • About LeagueFreak.com
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feed
  • NothingButLeague.com
  • Rugby League Podcasting Network
  • NRL Breaking News
  • NRL Rumours – Latest NRL Rumours
  • NRL Podcast
  • Super League Podcast
  • Rugby League Podcast
  • Here Is The Cure For COVID 19